Shoe



NOV. 7, 1939. 1 H EVERSTON 2,178,629

SHOE

Filed Jan. 25, 1957 @gli Bg ww, MQ/MM attorneys y* Patented Nov. 7, 1939UNITED STATES SHOE Joseph H. Everston, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor toMontgomery Ward & Co., Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofIllinois Application January 25, 1937, Serial No. 122,209 z claims. (o1.36-19) This invention relates to improvements in shoe inner soles andassemblies.

It is the primaryobject of the invention to provide in novel and morereadily usable form, an

inner sole and cushion assembly capable of being handled unitarily forlasting into the shoe to provide a cushion for the fore part of thewearers foot. More specically, it is my objective to pro vide a shoehaving an adequate cushion in its fore part without requiring theseparate handling of the cushion during the lasting of the shoe andwithout requiring any preliminary stitching or other permanentconnection of the cushion with the inner sole.

Other objects will appear from the following disclosure of theinvention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing the lower surface of an innersole comprising a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a view in transverse section through a shoe incorporatingthe inner sole construction shown in Fig. 1.

Figures 3 to 8 inclusive are fragmentary views taken in sections similarto that of Fig.` 2, and showing various modified embodiments of theinvention.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughoutthe several views.

3o The inner sole I0 which is shown in Fig. 1 as a separate article ofmanufacture, conforms to usual practice in that it comprises amoderately thin exible piece of leather. In accordance with the presentinvention the fore part of the lower surface I I of the inner sole isskived or slit by existing equipment to separate therefrom a lip l2which follows the contour of the forward half of the sole and is spacedinwardly therefrom and inwardly directed to receive the thinned edges ofa cushion I5.

The usual flexibility of the leather will permit the lip I2 to be liftedfor the insertion of the thinned edges of the cushion and the lip willthen be cemented down to confine the edges of 45 the cushion to retainthe cushion as a part of the insole for unitary handling therewith bothin shipping and in the subsequent lasting of the unitary assembly into ashoe.

' The insole as shown in Fig. 1 appears as illus- 50 trated in Fig. 2when it is assembled in a conventional shoe. The upper I6 and the liningI1 are lasted over the margin I8 of the insole Ill and underlie the lipI2. The thickness of the lining and upper portions thus lasted beneaththe 55 insole is sumcient to provide clearance within which the cushionI5 is accommodated, thus providing substantial parallelism between theinsole I0 and the outsole 20. The stitching 2| which connects the insoleand outsole passes through the lasted portions of the upper and thelining, 5 and passes through the edge portion I8 of the insole withouttraversing the yieldabie cushion I5 or any portion thereof. This isimportant because it provides a solid and relatively non-yieldinganchorage for the stitches. If the line of 10 stitching or othersecuring means were to pass through the cushion, the yielding of thecushion during the wear of the shoe would occasion a constantmovement ofthe soles with respect to the stitching and would result in breaking the15 stitching and pulling out staples or other securing means which mightbe' employed either temporarily or as a permanent connection between thesolesas a lasting operation.

The construction shown in Fig. 3 is identical 2'0` with that shown inFig. 2 with' the exception that the cushion |5| is provided withan'abrupt shoul` der at 2|0 against which the lasted marginal portionsof the upper and lining I6 and II are trimmed to seat. 25

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the material throughout the centrallowerportion of the insole IDI has actually been cut away completelyWithin the lip I2 to provide a recess or pocket in which the cushion |52is wholly disposed. The 30 space below the cushion in this constructionmay be lled with a separate filler 22 which may be any usual softcomposition or felt, or another ply of sponge rubber or other cushioningmaterial, as

desired. It will, of course, be understood that 35 any elastic cushionmay be used, but sponge rubber is the material most widely used andAfound most acceptable in current practice.

The use of a rubber cushion ply at 22| is shown in Fig. 5, which differsfrom Fig. 4 only in this 40 regard and in the fact that the ply 22! canbe somewhat thicker than ply 22 because I have incorporated at 23 astrip of stiffening material underlying the marginal portion I8 of theinsole to keep it straight and at under the tension of the stitches 2|.

In the. construction shown in Fig. 6 I have shown a materially differentarrangement in which the inner sole |02 is not cut to provide the lipI2. Instead, I have employed about the margin of the insole |02 abinding strip 25 such as is commonly used in womens sandals for summerwear. This binding strip is adhesively secured to the upper surface ofthe inner sole |02, but beneath the insole it passes about the reducedmarginal portion 2l of the cushion |53 and thereby serves to connect thecushion unitarlly with the insole. The lower edge |2| of the bindingstrip thus performs a function analogous to that o! lip Il in theconstructions previously discussed. I have also shown in Fig. 6 the useof a curved staple at 21 sewing to supplement the thread 2| as aconnection to the insole of the lasted-over portions of the upper i andthe liner Il, these being preferably engaged with the portion |2| of thebinding strip 25. It will, of course, be understood thatcurved staplesor nails, or other securing devices, may be used in any of theconstructions herein disclosed. It will also be understood that "socklinings" such as that shown at 2B may be used in this or any other ofthe constructions disclosed.

In the construction shown in Fig. 'I the sock lining 2li is preferablyadhesively secured to thc top face of the insole |02 and is carriedintegrally around the margin of the insole as a binder therefor and asubstitute for the binding strip 2l shown in Fig. 6. The lower margin|22 of the 4sock liner 28| engages the lower face of the cushion |54 tohold the cushion unitarily to the insole |02 in the same manner in whichthe lip I2 performs that function in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.

The construction shown in Fig. 8 is more nearly like that of Figs. 1 and2. In the Fig. 8 construction the insole |02 is similar to that shown inPigs. 6 and 'I in that it is not cut. The lip |23 which retains theskived or molded thin edge ci the cushion |55 comprises a separate stripIII of leather or the like, which is stitched at 3| tc the insole, priorto the lasting of the shoe, as a meansV of retaining the cushion. Itwill be noted that the lasting is in other respects similar to thatshown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.

Where theinsole is greatly reduced in thickness, as in Figs. 4 and 5, Imay employ a piece of fabric-or other stifener to assist in holding theshape of the insole as shown in Fig. 4 at 3.2.

It will be observed that the cushion ply is economically made of a sizewhich is just sumcient to support the foot of the wearer of a shoeincorporating my improvements. There is no need, nor is it desirablethat the cushion should extend into the box portion of the shoeforwardly of the wear-ergs toot. Neither is it desirable that thecushion should extend to the margins of the insole where its presence,at least in any substantial thickness, would weaken the stitching andreduce the eileetiveness of any other securing means employed in thelasting of the shoe. My improved construction provides a solid seat forthe stitching used in the assembly or the shoe while at the same timemounting unitarily on the insole a cushion which is sufliciently largeto be eii'ective over substantially the entire area of the insoleengaged under the pressure of the side margins of the insole and insubstantial parallelism to the plane of said insole, an outsole appliedin substantial parallelism to the insole across the lasted portions ofthe upper and across the cushion therewithin, and means extendingthrough the solid portions of the insole for connecting the outsole andinsole of the shoe through said upper.

2. In a shoe the combination with an outsole, of a cushion on theoutsole having marginal portions of reduced thickness extendinglaterally in an upward direction divergent from the outsole, an insoleresting on said cushion and having soild marginal portions and integralflaps extend'ng therefrom beneath the upwardly inclined marginalportions of the cushion, the solid marginal portions of the insole beingof substantially the same thickness as the central portion of the insoleand in the same plane, and an upper and lining extending marginallyabout the insole and lasted at their m irgins horizontally beneath thesolid portion o the insole and between the insole and outsole, and meansconnecting the outsole and the solid marginal portion of the insolethrough the upper and lining.

JOSEPH H. EVERSTGN.

